Sustainable Community Cambodia

The funds will be invested in the Preh Nohr community, North of Siem Reip - over a 4-year period - to create a sustainable future for the 4,000 villagers who live across three villages.

Brighton Rotary making more change for the greater good

Brighton Rotary’s Sustainable Community Cambodia committee, in conjunction with Sangke Battambang Rotary Club (Cambodia) have managed to raise $52,750 USD and nearly doubled this to $99,000 USD ($125,000 AUD) - with a Rotary Foundation International Global Grant. The funds will be invested in the Preh Nohr community, North of Siem Reip - over a 4-year period - to create a sustainable future for the 4,000 villagers who live across three villages.

This exciting humanitarian project will fund: -

The clearing of an ancient dam of sediment that had built up over the last 800 years. The dam will be a source of clean water for drinking, agriculture and fish farming.

Provide the adult population with access to education so that they may be given basic numeracy and literacy skills. Teaching villagers better farming techniques including best choice of crops, and numeracy will facilitate them when dealing in the markets.

Provide micro finance loans for farming of: -

Pigs and cattle will be provided mainly as an income source for the Villages but will also serve as a source of meat for personal consumption.

Crops & Bamboo farms

A hand up not a hand out...

This project is about providing a hand up not a hand out, and getting local villagers (Khmer-speaking Cambodians) to engage in the development of a sustainable future that will not only help this generation but future generations. One of the local villagers, Rithy has acted as our Cambodian Advisor and on the ground Project Manager. So that the villagers do not develop a sense of entitlement, the project is being rolled out on a microfinance loan basis so that the locals are investing in their own future rather than waiting for handouts. The plan is to roll the repaid funds into the next group of villages.

The funds were raised through a crowd funding campaign, with the Rotary Club of Brighton funding the major part of the project, and the Rotary Club of Balwyn have agreed to fund the clearing of the dam.

"We know that we can do more together than we could ever hope to do alone."